Process of forming self baking insulation blocks



E. R. POWELL 1,881,932

, PROCESS OF FORMING SELF BAKiNG INSULATION BLOCKS 4 Oct 11, 1-932.

Filed Aug. '24. 1928 INVENTOR.

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Patented Oct. 11, 1932' UNITED STATES PATENT" o1=1='1c1:v 7'

EDWARD R. POWELL, ALEXANDRIA, INDIA A, AssIeNon TO BANNER nocx Conro- BATION, 0F ALEXANDRIA, INDIANA, A coIceonA'rIoN or DELAWARE PROCESS OF FORMING SELF BAKING INSULATION BLOCKS Application filed August 24, 1928. Serial No. 301,849.

l0 fibrous material, such as mineral wool, a diffused combustible constituent, a portion of which has a binding action upon the fibers and a portion of which is combustible under proper conditions, the combustion occurring at a temperature suitable for obtaining the binding action from the remainder of the binder, and there also may be added to the fire-proof fibrous material, such as mineral wool, in addition to the combustible constit 20 uent, suitable clay or clays which it will be readily apparent, can be baked, and will be baked in the baking of the block.

Another feature of the invention consists in the formation of a honeycomb or cellular skeleton which is relatively hard and brittle, and is included in-said block, said construction being formed in the baking of said block, the honeycombed portion being formed by the escaping gases, to wit, the volatile constituent of the binder in the baking of the block.

Another feature of the invention, if desired, consists in coating while hot the cellular sheet, or like material with an i organic coating that diffuses into the cellular spaces to lock the coating to the sheet, etc.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims;

In the drawing Fig. 1 is an elongated central sectional view, parts being shown in elevation of one embodiment of apparatus suitable for employing the process. Fig. 2 is a.

view of the fiber sheet prior to baking. Fig. 3 is a view of the fiber sheet after baking with the cellular structure included therein. 1

In the drawing indicates a furnace which has a molten discharge stream 11 and asso- 60 .ciated therewith is a steam line 12 having.

a nozzle 13, and the blast therefrom discharges into a blow chamber 14 with inclined sides 15 and having a mouth closed by a conveyor 16 upon which the material collects as a sheet 17. The blow chamber also has tlle usual, or any preferred vent construction The mineral fiber such as glass wool or the like, may be suitably impregnated with a suitable binder material having a fiber binding constituent and a combustible constituent, such a material being the combination of asphalt flux or crude oil together with soda ash, silicate of soda, or a milk ofplastie clay. One method of impregnating the fiber with the combustible binder and fuel material is to inject the same in the blast "containing the fiber at the time of formation of the latter. Relatively complete diffusion is thus obtained and substantially uniform diffusion also obtains.

Herein the pipe 12 and nozzle 13 constitute I an injector for a line 20 adapted to supply crude oil or other suitable petroleum constituent for binding and combustion, or powdered fuel for combustion alone.- If desired the formation of the fiber rather than at the time I of the formation of said fiber. Thus it is not necessary to supply'the binder and combustible material to the fiber at the time of making the same, but it may be poured or discharged on tothe stream of mingled fiber I and air justafter the two are mixed.

The belt collected strip of material is opposed nozzles 25., and such a material is clay in combination with water probably in colloidal form. To form. sheets or blocks of predetermined length suitable shears26 or equivalent strip severing devices may be employed.

. passed under a felting roll 24, and, if desired,

the upper and lower surfaces of the strip may be supplied with a coating material, by the Following the aforesaid, the strip, blocks or sheets are passed into and through an oven 29, the sheets being supported by an open work conveyor construction 30 so that the hot gases are passed through or around the sheet. The temperature therein is such (usually but not necessarily between 700 and 800 degrees) that A the combustible portion of the binder ignites combustible. portion of the sheet leaving the t together and coat the surface of the sheet or by spontaneous combustion and continues to burn until it burns out substantially all the binding portion behind and in cellular formation such as shown in Fig. 3. I

r If desired, the baked material may be suitably coated by opposed spray nozzles 31 with a binder and coating material such as sodium silicate or similar inorganic material which, when it hits the hot'strip, sheet or. the like, will readilydifl'use throughout the same and will, by capillary attractlon, unite the fiber block. The coated sheet is passed intoand through a cooler 32 which solidifies the binder and cools the sheet, with the fibers in united relation.

The temperature in the heater 29 is suflicient to unite the combustible portion of the binder mix and to maintain said temperature sufficiently long to burn out the major combustible portion of the binder, and following.

such heating the remainder is in calcined condition, and the wholeblock is in a baked condition. The total binder content will usu ally run about thirty percent but forty percent is not excessive and the invention is not limited toany specific percentage.

Figs. 2 and 3. represent highly magnified idealized conditions and are included to show 46 clearly the actual change that forms in the material. I

While the process has been described as being of block or sheet form, the invention is not so restricted, since the fiber sheet impreg nated with the binder mix can be formed into rolls and the individual rolls subjected to the ignition temperature and the rolls baked and calcined as aforesaid, after which and upon collection, the roll may be slit longitudinally to form pipe coverings.

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing self-sustaining unitssuch as blocks and the like of mineral fibers which comprises mixing. the.

rial, shapingthe mixture, and then subject-- ing the shaped mass to a temperature su fficient to ignite the combustible material.

3. A method of manufacturing self-sus taining units such as blocks and the like of mineral fibers which comprises mixing the fibers with an inorganic binding material and a hydro-carbon, shaping the mixture,

and then subjecting the sha ed mass to a 5 temperature suflicient to'igmte the hydrocarbon.

4. A method of manufacturing self-sustaining units such as blocks and the like of ,mineral fibers which comprises blowing molten'mineral material into fibers and admixing with the blown fibers an inorganic binding material and a hydro-carbon, shaping the mixture, and then subjecting the shaped mass to a temperature sufficient to ignite the hydro-carbon.

. 5. A method of manufacturing self-sustaining units such as blocks and the like of mineral fibers which comprises mixing the fibers with sodium silicate and a combustiblematerial, shaping the mixture and then subjecting the shaped mass to a temperature sufiicient to ignite the combustible material.

6. A method of manufacturing self-sustaining units such as blocks and the like of mineral fibers which comprises mixing the fibers with clay and a combustible material,

shaping the mlxture and then subjecting the shaped mass to a temperature sufiicient to ignite the combustible material.

. 7. A- method ofmanufacturlng self-sustaining units such as blocks and the like of mineral fibers which comprises blowing mixing'with the blown fibers an inorganic binding material and a combustible material, pe'rmitting the mixture to continuously deposit in the form of a sheet, continuously withdrawing the sheet thus formed from the deposition zone and passing it into a heating zone maintained at a temperature suf ficiently high to ignite the combustible material. I y 8. A method of. manufacturing self-sustaining units such as blocks and the like of mineral fibers ;-which comprises blowing molten mineral material'into fibers and admixing with the blown fibers an inorganic molten mineral material into fibers and adits binding material and a hydro-carbon, permitting the mixture to continuously deposit in the-form of a;v sheet, continuously withdrawing the sheet thus formed from the deposition zone and passing it into a heating zone maintained at a temperature suflicient- 1y high to ignite the hydro-carbon.

9. A method of manufacturing self-sustaining units such asblocks and the like of mineral fibers which comprises mixing the fibers with an inorganic binding material and a combustible material, shaping the mixture, applying a' coating of cinor anic mate rial to the surface of t e shape mass, and

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then subjecting the shaped mass to a temperature sufliclent to ignite the combustible material. a

10. A method of manufa self-sustaining units such as blocks and t e like of mineral fibers which comprises mixing the fibers with an inorganic inding material and a combustible material, shaping the mix ture, and then subjecting the shaped mass to m temperature suflicient to ignite the comustible material and thereafter applying a coating of inorganic material to the ignited mass.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto af- 15 fixed my signature.

' EDWARD R. POWELL. 

